Meet Elsie Ureta

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elsie Ureta a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Elsie , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I had to build my resilience growing up with my mom and brother. My mom raised us a single mother where she struggled to put food on the table and made sure we got an education going to high school. She worked long hours at her jobs to make sure we were financially stable paying rent, groceries and providing us on her own. Seeing my mother go through so many obstacles growing up made me realize that I can push through anything that life throws at me.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My journey is a humble one. I grew up in South LA regions: Bell, Compton and Lynwood with my mother and brother. I learned in middle school that I had to be a mother and big sister to my little brothers as I cleaned the house and cooked for both my mother and brother at a young age. During college, I took on several jobs to provide for my family like McDonalds, and Big 5 Sporting goods while taking classes full time. Initially I majored in Nursing but then switched to study Biology after taking introductory Biology where I fell in love with the field. From there I transitioned to work as a Special Education Assistant in LAUSD because I had a passion to help young students who suffered from Austim and Down syndrome. In these years I also volunteered at USC Keck Medicine and St, Francis Medicial Center where I realized I wanted to become a doctor and be a healing hand for people in underserved communities. During these years, I struggled to finish school because of my mental health dealing with imposter syndrome where I believe I was not good enough to become a physician scientist. I developed depression and anxiety which led me to do poorly on my academics. In return my grades suffered and my graduation date kept being delayed. Eventually, one day I decided that I was not going to be a failure and I decided to make up the courses that I had taken with my dense working schedule and cannot sustain to perform well. I was stubborn to take less units to be able to pass my courses with good grades which took me 8 years to be able to graduate in 2019 from CSULA and was finally happy that my journey was continuing on to my next career goal to become a physician scientist. Before the pandemic started, I lost my job in LAUSD and I went through a mental breakdown episode. I developed mania and hallucinations where I was hospitalized and diagnosed with Schizoeffective disorder, a type of schizophrenia. During the pandemic, I continued to struggle with my diagnosis and used my passion for education to stay focused and get better. I took classes at UCLA Extension while being hospitalized about 6 times because I failed to take my medication and listen to the providers who were trying to get me to feel better. Those were the hardest years yet in my life dealing with the pandemic, my mental health and taking course to boost my science GPA to continue on my career goal. In 2023, I started to feel a lot better and I decided to apply to graduate school at USC. I was accepted to the program where I continued to study Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. I graduated this year in 2024 and now I am studying to take the MCAT which is the standardized test for entrance into medical school, while I look for jobs in Research and Medicine. During this process, I worked at several hospitals and biotech companies as a research associate and Laboratory Technician. I hope to become a physician scientist one day to be able to cure young patients in cancer and disease as a future Pediatric Oncologist. Never did I think in high school I would graduate as a Biologist and go to graduate school at USC and preserve while dealing with a mental health disorder that people don’t usually continue to go to school or continue a career path. I have never given up and continue to never give up as I push towards my career goals where I hope to cure patients with their disease.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The 3 skills that I feel were impactful in my journey were resilience, discipline and leadership. I was resilient in my college years and graduate school where I persevered in my academics while dealing with my mental health disorder. Discipline plays a huge important role in determining how far you’ll go in life. You need to use the best tools to keep you organized, plan your career goals and act them out by doing them even though you fail. No matter how many times you fail, you never give up. If it’s meant for you, continue trying until you reached your goal. The best advice I can give from someone who continues to keep breaking obstacles is to keep trying no matter what other people might tell you. Only you know what you’re capable of doing and if you feel that you have what it takes to get to your career goal then don’t give up! Also seek advice from other entrepreneurs, future career leaders and listen to podcast because you need motivation every step of the way during your journeys. Last one is leadership. During my college years I was heavily involved in organizations like Mimentor, LMSA, and UCLA MEDPEP, where I joined the community to stay motivated and on top of things being premed and researcher. I learned from my peers on what I needed to work on and heard motivational speakers talk about what it’s like to be a physician scientist and researcher for the underserved community. I served leadership positions that helped me developed as person and give me growth opportunities that I have used in different career jobs. The best advice I can give in this topic is that you can never grow enough, we are humans and we can never know enough. Being a leader on the community can help us learn how to treat others and develop our persona. Also don’t be afraid to ask other top people for advice or guidance, you never know what you can learn and how far that advice will take you. I’ve gotten mentorship and advice throughout my career that I have felt grateful that people have cared for me in my journey.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When feeling overwhelmed in a STEM career, it’s important to adopt strategies that can help manage stress and maintain productivity. Here are some evidence-based tips:

Prioritize Tasks and Set Realistic Goals. Breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable steps can help you feel less stressed. Setting achievable goals helps maintain focus and provides a sense of accomplishment. Every time I set goals for myself I make sure I make a plan to make it easier and more manageable to achieve.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques. Mindfulness meditation and relaxation exercises can significantly reduce stress levels and improve mental health. During my time of dealing with my diagnosis, I kept a diary of my thoughts and accomplishments each day which helped me relax. I also meditated at nighttime and drank a tea to help me ease into bed each night.

Seek Social Support. Connecting with colleagues, mentors, or support groups can provide emotional support and practical advice. Social support is crucial in mitigating stress and enhancing well-being. I am always able to reach out to mentors and colleagues to help me clear my mind whenever I felt doubt or feelings of overwhelming that help me set my mind back into focus and ready to tackle the feelings.

Engage in Physical Activity. Regular exercise is known to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase overall physical and mental health. Taking a stroll with my dog Sam and boyfriend Nestor helps me to clear my mind. I also like running and training for 5k Marathons to feel like I am preparing for a task while achieving another goal.

Developing Time Management Skills is important. Efficient time management can reduce stress and increase productivity. Prioritizing tasks using calendars, excel sheets or daily planners helps you stay focused and not feeling out of control. Keeping a planner that is consistent of what you’re doing in each hour keeps your brain functioning on each little task that you have to do. Once you check off the each task on the schedule you feel accomplished for the day.

Taking Breaks and Resting. Regular breaks and sufficient rest are essential for maintaining productivity and mental health. Short breaks during work hours and ensuring adequate sleep can rejuvenate the mind and body. I always make sure to take time off to do an activity for the day or just to rest at home so I feel the sense of control on what to do next and how to go about it. Managing stress in a STEM career involves a combination of setting realistic goals, practicing mindfulness, seeking support, engaging in physical activity, developing time management skills, and ensuring regular breaks and rest.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Elsieonthegrind
• Linkedin: ElsieUreta

Image Credits

Nestor Enciso for being an amazing partner in the last 14 years and Lorena Asturias who continues to motivate me to keep going on my journey.